Research

During an expedition it is crucial to document our observations and experiences.

Especially when traveling to remote locations, where research efforts are less frequent, analysis and exploration are vital to learning and preserving some of the planet's most precious marine resources.

✎ Below are some of the research efforts and scientific organizations we discovered during our expeditions. More to come, stay tuned!

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◆ The Amazon expedition ◆

November-December 2011

Our founders have a deep-rooted connection to the Amazon River Basin, having participated on multiple expeditions to this natural wonder, including the 2001 Blakexpedition voyage where Sir Peter Blake was shot and killed by river pirates.

As December 2011 marked the tenth anniversary of Blake's passing, two of our team members joined 'Worldwise Expeditions' to Brazil's Amazonas to commemorate Sir Peter and return to investigate the communities, wildlife, and health of this unique rainforest and river system.

Below we have included some local conservation organizations, research initiatives, as well as excellent science-based websites working to create awareness for the Amazon.

Fundação Almerinda Malaquias (Malaquias Almerinda Foundation)

Founded by president Miguel Rocha da Silva in the Amazon region of Novo Airao, Rio Negro, this foundation is unique in its purpose and success with local communities.

Miguel is one of the most respected and genuine ambassadors for the Amazon and its people. Having long called Manaus home, he still says his 'heart is with the forest', and his work as guide to countless expedition teams over the years speaks for itself.

This fundação aims at teaching local communities to live sustainably with their environment, and respect what their surroundings can offer, and teach them. Children are learning about growing plants and trees, the importance of caring for them, and recycling wood to create new products.

At the foundation, a craft center collects refuse from sawmills where it is turned into beautiful wooden replicas of Amazon wildlife. Newspaper is also recycled into paper and sold.

In this community of 14,000 people, Miguel's foundation is the largest employer. He is working to teach the youth basic principles of conservation, so that their environment will continue to sustain them for generations to come.

Communities established along the Amazon river and its countless tributaries depend on the wildlife in the water and the bounty found in the forest. Some of the largest species of fresh water fish are found in the Amazon, and the rainforest has nutritious treasures like the Brazil and Cashew nuts, the Acaii berry, Pinapple, Manioc, etc. Teaching locals to nurture their natural resources is paramount, especially in a time when deforestation, over fishing, and pollution are major issues threatening the sustainability of the Amazon's ecosystems.

Mongabay.comis a content rich, science based resource providing the latest in Amazon research news. Created in 1999 by Rhett Butler, Mongabay.com is one of the world's most trusted and informative sites raising awareness of environmental issues around the globe.

A wide range of articles, publicaions, maps and charts relating to the Amazon River Basin allow for an in-depth look at such issues as deforestation, habitat degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, etc.

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Did you know?

The world's underwater sea beds have engrained resources such as oil hidden deep beneath the ocean floor. Drilling for this oil has become a widespread and incredibly profitable business for industries seeking to utilize this natural resource. A multitude of products humans use have been sourced from the crude oil found deep in our sea beds.

On April 20th, 2010, an explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig caused the largest ocean oil spill in history in the Gulf of Mexico. An estimated 50,000 barrels of oil escaped into the ocean every day for a total of 87 days until the leak was finally stopped.

The environmental damage for this type of incident is immeasurable and will continue to escalate for years to come. Wildlife and fishing communities depending on the Gulf of Mexico's nutrient rich waters have been heavily affected by the inundation of oil since the disastrous spill.

There are numerous offshore drilling rigs around the globe extracting oil from as deep as 1 mile beneath the ocean floor. The environmental consequences of incidental oil spills are monumental and bring into question the sustainability of this type of industry.